Omar A. Abed

Alumni

PhD Student, Graduated 2023

Alumni

Biography

After finishing my bachelors degree in chemical engineering from KFUPM (2015), I joined SABIC Corporate Research and Development (CRD) center at KAUST. There I worked in the catalysis department focusing on heterogeneous catalyst development and testing. In 2017, I joined KAUST as a MS student in the Functional Nanomaterials lab under the supervision of professor Osman Bakr. My Thesis was entitled: "Synthesis, Characterization and Testing of Lanthanum-Nickel Based Materials as Catalysts for The Carbon Dioxide Reforming of Methane". I earned my MS degree from KAUST in July 2019.

Since August 2019, I am working in the Multiscale Reaction Engineering (MuRE) group under the supervision of professor Pedro Castano. My current work is focused on oligomerization reactions for producing light olefins.

Research Interests

My current research is focused on oligomerization reactions to obtain higher olefins from ethylene using metal supported heterogeneous catalysts. 

Education

  • ​B.Sc., Chemical Engineering, KFUPM, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 2015
  • M.Sc., Chemical Engineering, KAUST, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, 2019
  • PhD, Chemical Engineering, KAUST, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, 2019

Professional Profile

  • 2015-Present: Researcher at SABIC's Corporate Research and Development Center, KAUST, Saudi Arabia
  • 2014: Summer Intern at SABIC's Corporate research and Innovation Center, KAUST, Saudi Arabia
  • 2011-2012: Student Research Assistant at the Center of Excellence in Nanotechnology (CENT), KFUPM, Saudi Arabia

 

Scientific and Professional Membership

  • ​Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE)
  • American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
  • American Chemical Society (ACS)

Awards

  • SABIC Year End Award 2016

KAUST Affiliations

  • ​KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC)
  • Chemical Engineering Program
  • Division of Physical Science and Engineering (PSE)

Non-KAUST Affiliations

  • SABIC Corporate Research and Development

Research Interests Keywords

Oligomerization Gas-solid reactors Zeolites Catalyst synthesis High throughput testing